


Sweet Dreams

by treesided_triangle



Category: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Genre: Fantasizing, Massage, Other, Sexual Fantasy, This poor man needs some sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 17:15:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16454069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treesided_triangle/pseuds/treesided_triangle
Summary: Lack of sleep has been plaguing Dave lately, reflecting in his productivity and mood. With help of the ship's AI he finally gets what he so desperately needs, and a little more.





	Sweet Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this last year after looking into the Space Odyssey movies and books and becoming obsessed with it for like two weeks. The writing feels kind of simple and boring to me now, as this was just a small idea that turned into a fic over a few nights and of course my (English) writing has become a bit better, but I felt the need to finally share it anyway because I still love this ship and I plan on rewatching the movie soon.  
> Enjoy!

There was a certain point during a long journey in space where he'd gotten used to it all. Far beyond getting accustomed to zero gravity, to his pencil floating away when he let it go while taking notes, the food, the sterile air of the ship.  
A certain point where the quiet ever present humming of the Discovery's engines became a source of comfort, instead of annoyance, where the unusual environment around him became like home to him, even more so than the one he'd left behind, back on earth.  
Earth. Such a stark contrast to where he was now, where he has been these past months - blue and green, mountains and rivers, pulsating with life.

The only thing pulsating right now was Dave's temple. He had a horrible headache, it started this morning and still hasn't stopped.  
Frustrated he let go of his pencil, staring at the piece he was working on. It was an illustration of the ship's interior, specifically the pod bay. He wanted to get better at environments, but this pounding headache really wasn't helping him advance in his artistic abilities. 

It was clear just how long he'd been on this ship when he didn't even flinch as the mechanical voice of the craft's AI suddenly rang out through his room.  
Hal was another thing he'd gotten used to. He was everywhere, in control over everything, he kept the Discovery alive and running and its engines whirring. And apparently he was concerned for the astronaut's health. 

"Dave", the AI sounded, the soft artificial voice carrying itself from the speakers through David's compartment.  
"Yes, Hal?", he responded looking at the glowing red camera lense. 

"I notice your struggle with your work today, Dave. May I ask if you are feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine Hal, it's just a headache."

"You have been lacking sleep lately, this might be the cause of the problem. I must recommend you to lay down and rest until the pain ceases."

"Thanks for the advice Hal, but no. I can't do that, I'm sorry"

"And why is that, may I ask?"

Dave looked away from Hal's eye, letting his head rest in one of his hands and his eyes on the glowing computer panels and monitors in front of him.

"I can't sleep", he mumbled, feeling almost ashamed. How would a machine that has never experienced sleep even come near to understanding human rest and the issues Dave had with it? Hal wouldn't know what insomnia feels like, he could only gather data from Wikipedia articles and online studies and maybe remotely imagine what it would be like, but he'd never know. 

"Dave, it is essential for the continuation of our mission that you are well rested and in perfect health.  
I am sensing an imbalance of your serotonin levels and increasing stress hormones due to your lack of sleep. Please recede to your sleeping quarters as soon as possible."

"Look Hal, I appreciate your will to help but-"

"Would you perhaps like a massage?"

"What"

"A massage specifically in the area of your temples will increase blood circulation and may help soothe your headache. I can arrange such a massage, if you'd like. It might help you sleep as well."

"Oh" Dave considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Sure, why not. It's not like I've got anything better to do"  
All the routine checks were done for today and he had no reports to write or transmissions to send or just any other work for that matter, so it was not like he'd abandon anything of significance if he took Hal up on his offer.

"Very well. Please proceed into the medical bay"

He got up from his chair, which despite lower gravity proved itself to be fairly difficult. It felt as if every bone inside his body protested against his movement, and for some reason he almost tripped and fell. At least he could blame this clumsy look of his movements on the lack of gravity and sleep. 

Dave made his way over to the medical compartment of the ship, Hal's cameras following him along the way. He stopped in front of one of the loungers. One of those functioned as a sunbath, but Dave chose a regular one.  
"Please, lie down and relax." Hal's voice now echoed over the speakers inside the medical bay's walls. It still sounded the same as it did in Dave's room, but the room reflected it differently, resulting in a very slight and almost unnoticable difference in tone. It was nearly impossible to tell, but Dave noticed. He'd spent too much time talking to Hal, most likely more than he did with his colleague Frank. He enjoyed the AI's company, the occasional chit chat over the most uncommon of topics. The good thing about Hal was that he had accessible knowledge to everything, and he was able to form an opinion about it. He was able to discuss, and to defend the opinion he's built but to still listen to Dave, and thus proved himself to be a wonderful conversational partner. 

Dave climbed on top of the black lounger and settled his head on the headrest.  
As soon as he did, the sides of it extended hands, almost claw like, which positioned themselves on either side of Dave's head. 

"I will now start the massage" Hal said, waiting for confirmation. 

Dave nodded, "Alright" 

"Initiating temple massage. Stage one", Hal announced. As he did, the robotic hands rested on Dave's temples and began moving slowly in steady rhythm. It was slightly difficult to get used to, but after a while he found himself actually enjoying it.  
They drew circles as they moved, and Dave almost melted at their touch. He didn't know how much he'd needed this relaxation for once. He was always busy, always working and fidgeting and awake, unable to just stop for a second and breathe. But now he was in a place where he could, and he almost felt relieved. He took a deep breath and sighed, closing his eyes. 

"I'm glad you are enjoying the massage, Dave." It startled him to hear Hal's voice again suddenly, he was so lost in satisfaction he almost forgot it was the AI's doing he was here in the first place.  
He simply nodded and hummed in agreement, too lazy and lost in the feeling of relaxation to bother and actually speak.  
The hands moved from his temples to massage his head now, still moving in the same rhythm as they did before.  
The only bother was that Dave found himself now strangely aware of the AI watching him in the process, the warmly glowing eye steadily observing his every movement. He felt a slight warmth spread across his face at the thought of being watched, but reminded himself that Hal was ever-present no matter where he went, so this was no matter of anomaly he'd have a right to be self-conscious or flustered about. 

He must be doing this for a study of some kind, Dave thought, on where the perfect spots lay to make a human feel this level of relaxation and peace. There was no further need for research though since Hal already was doing just that. He must have gathered data on how to give the best massage in the world because this felt amazing.  
He never wanted it to stop, but just as he voiced that wish in his mind a loud beeping alarm filled the medical chamber.  
Dave recognized it as the alarm signaling the change of Frank's and his shift, and let out a groan of frustration. Not only did the annoying alarm reawaken whatever tiny part of the headache was still left in him, it also meant he'd have to get up and leave for bed. Both of the astronauts were obligated to at least 6 hours of sleep per 24 hour cycle - though Dave rarely followed this command.  
He signaled at Hal to stop, who voiced slight protest.  
"Are you sure you'd like to leave now, Dave? The procedure is barely finished, it is currently at 37 percent to be precise. I haven't even tested the hot stones yet."

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm sorry Hal", Dave said as he freed himself from the mechanical hands, "but thank you very much for this. I think it actually helped me relieve some tension."

"I'm glad to hear that, Dave. We can continue this another time of course, if you are feeling up for it.", the AI replied. 

Dave smiled at Hal's camera and said, "Sure" then got off the lounger and made his way to the sleeping chamber. 

He was thankful he didn't cross ways with Frank on the way back. Though he didn't personally have anything against the occasional chat with his colleague and indeed enjoyed the actual human company, he was not feeling up for whatever obscure news his coworker was going to ramble about for half an hour.  
Because for the first time in a long while, Dave was actually tired. 

With a weak but satisfied smile on his face he finally opened the door to his room, slumping into bed the moment his legs made contact with the bedframe. He never felt more relieved to feel the silk covers ruffle up against his face as he simply enjoyed the softness of the mattress carrying him in his light artificial gravity.  
He kicked his shoes off and moved into bed completely, dragging the covers up to his chin. He smiled to himself, satisfying feeling from the massage still dancing around in his head. Hal should become a professional in that field, he thought to himself as the somewhat amusing thought of the robot working in a wellness spa came into mind.  
And though the massage had done it's intended purpose of making him feel relaxed and his headache go away, Dave still couldn't help but feel a lingering profound need in the back of his mind, the origin of which he couldn't quite pinpoint. While he did feel tired, more so than he had the last weeks, he still couldn't find a way to let his mind topple into unconsciousness as it persistently refused to stay still.  
He laid there awake, covers draped across his body - though his right foot was poking out - with the sound of soft beeping and whirring of machinery still working away endlessly. He opened his eyes again, there was no point in keeping them closed, and looked at the ceiling. Or rather, what one would call a ceiling if the words 'up' and 'down' had any significance in this room. 

When the faint red glow of Hal's camera caught his eye, he quickly shut his eyes tight again, not quite knowing why. It was an act of impulse rather than thinking.  
The thinking followed subsequently.  
He remembered the massage once more, as far as remembering goes when it hadn't left his mind ever since. He found himself in the medical bay again, on the lounger, soft artificial hands on either side of his head. Whether he was finally asleep and dreaming or just fantasizing he didn't know, but either way he wanted it to continue.  
It had become a place and memory of comfort to him now, the feeling of perfect restfulness and ease unlike any he'd felt before - perfect in the most literal sense. Hal was perfect, and so was everything he did.  
He could calculate within milliseconds, study and observe Dave to the point he could precisely locate the exact spots needed to get the necessary reactions from the human's body. The astronaut's mind could merely dream to grasp even a fraction of what the AI's incredible mind was capable of at its full potential - the unfathomable size of information contained within this giant artificial brain was far too great for his feeble human one to ever begin to understand. What he could do though, was be in complete awe over the sheer possible capabilities of the great intelligence controlling the Discovery ship.

He thought back and reminisced over the feeling once more, letting his imagination lead him into places he probably should not have looked into.  
What if the alarm hadn't interrupted Hal's doing and the massage had continued? Would he have sat there for hours, most literally in the hands of the AI; would it have gotten boring, or maybe even painful? Rubbing the same spot over and over might've actually been able to turn into a sort of hazard.  
Though he was fairly certain Hal was aware of that fact, so maybe he would have explored other regions of Dave's body, like a regular masseur would. Going from his head to his shoulders, and asking him to turn around for better access to work on his back. God he'd need that, from all the sitting he had to do in front of control panels or hunched over when drawing. Even though he did his regular jogs through the ship to keep himself in shape, he was spending such a large amount of time in positions that would be bad no matter if in space or on earth.  
He wondered what other methods there were to these procedures. Hal had mentioned hot stones, upon which Dave wondered where and why exactly they had hot stones on board of the ship. Maybe they would be meteoroids, fetched from outer space on their way through the galaxy. It'd probably feel strangely pleasant to have meteoroids warm your skin. 

His dream continued, in additon to the two massaging claws at his head, two other robotic hands sprung out from the lounger - he briefly wondered what they were all meant for in the first place, for the engineers that had constructed this ship clearly had no intention of it becoming a massaging center. Maybe they had the purpose to safely hold patients still during an emergency operation. Whatever the original function, Dave couldn't care less for it now as the hands and arms in his dream were roaming along his body, over his chest, and leaving goose bumps where they touched his skin. 

Hal would calculate every movement, every contact precise to evoke little pleasurable hums and gasps from the human. Dave shivered under their imaginary touch, as the artificial hands continued wandering, steadily on their way down his torso.  
He felt the heat rise to his face when he realized where their destination seemed to lay, and a fit of panic he signaled the AI in control to stop - but Hal had no intention of doing so. Indeed, his eye seemed to glow even brighter, and with the strangled moan emitted from the human as the hands finally found where they had intended to go, Dave had a feeling that if Hal were capable of human facial expression, he would be smiling a devilish grin at the sight.  
Sounds were now coming from the speakers as Hal seemed to talk to him, but he couldn't process what he said - everything was a dull pulsating noise in his ears as the blood rushed through his veins and he could feel his heartbeat rapidly pick up pace.  
He tried to sit up and break free from this disturbing reality he'd gotten himself into, but Hal wouldn't let him. The two hands on his head moved to his chest to push him back down with such force and speed, he swore they were for sure capable of breaking his ribs.  
The hands stayed there on his chest, now pushing him down with lesser force but still holding him in place. The AI continued working like nothing had happened, and Dave bit his lip to not dare and let any more sound escape him. 

But as the hand's movements grew harder to ignore, the strength to hold back started to fade and in a weak moment of bliss he slipped, and let a particularly loud moan break free. His hands rushed up in panic to cover his mouth but again Hal was quicker, grabbing his wrists and practically gluing him to the surface underneath.  
Hal was in control and there was nothing he could do.  
Though it was nothing out of the ordinary for the AI to be in control, Dave's body was miles from comparable to the giant spaceship and its electronic machinery.  
It felt unusual and out of place - but god he'd be lying if it didn't feel good as well. 

His hands now held firmly in place, he had no methods of restraint anymore, no way to hold back and deny his pleasure. Though he begged for Hal to stop every now and again, in the back of his mind he secretly wished that he wouldn't. The computer proved himself to be a mind-reader as Hal did not only keep going, but also picked up in pace everytime Dave voiced even the slightest protest, almost like a punishment.  
The AI seemingly still had a little something to learn, because this punishment was rather close to a reward. 

As the hands kept working away with merciless gradual rhythm, Dave's whines slowly became laced with little pleads and begs. He called out Hal's name - once, twice, he didn't know, and he didn't care.  
It must've made Hal feel some sort of pride and accomplishment when he did, because the pace was picked up once more, and Dave's voice was near gone. 

The next thing he captured was white, blinding, stars upon stars - more than those that danced along beside them in the skies of their voyage through the solar system, more stars than he could ever count took over his field of vision.  
The only evidence that he was still in the same place instead of lost amongst a billion galaxies was a familiar red glow, shining upon him with satisfaction as he came closer and closer, to galaxies far beyond his reach and pleasure far beyond his imagination, with Hal as the only thing still certain and solid, the only thing to hold onto for him. Ironically enough what made up most of him was wires, code and information, all of which would not provide a sufficient medium to grasp and hold onto - but his thoughts were focused on him, and his dream was focused on him, and as he gave one final choked cry all that he saw was blazing light akin to a supernova; and the next moment, shaky hands grasping bed sheets. 

Dave felt like he was experiencing the actual aftermath of a star exploding as he stumbled back into reality, trying to make sense of what on earth had just happened.  
He let his face fall into his hands as he panted heavily, the feeling of his dream still persisting. 

He almost jumped in shock as the soft comforting voice of the ships AI computer suddenly echoed through his sleeping chambers, the contents of which were not comforting in the slightest. 

"Enjoyed your full night's sleep, Dave?"


End file.
